John Chrysostom on Natural / general revelation
Objectively clear and sufficient to leave everyone without excuse; the failure is moral suppression, not insufficient evidence — though it cannot itself save
But what was able to draw them to Him more than a voice, that He did, by putting before them the Creation, so that both wise, and unlearned, and Scythian, and barbarian, having through sight learned the beauty of the things which were seen, might mount up to God.
THE POSITION
Creation is God's own teaching, addressed to everyone without distinction — "both wise, and unlearned, and Scythian, and barbarian." The knowledge of God was placed in men from the beginning; what went wrong was that they spent it on idols and "trusted everything to their reasonings." The failure is moral, not evidential, and it is what leaves them without excuse.
19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
8 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Archbishop of Constantinople and the most prolific preacher of the patristic era — the largest surviving body of Greek expository preaching is his. This entry rests on the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers translations of his homilies on Romans, 1 Corinthians, John, Hebrews and 2 Thessalonians, together with the Instructions to Catechumens.
Cite this page
"John Chrysostom on Natural / general revelation", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/chrysostom/natural-revelation (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/chrysostom/natural-revelation).